Summer Opera in New York

Friday, June 04, 2010

Many music lovers argue New York is at its best during the summer. The long days and sultry nights can make a picnic on the grass at an outdoor concert the perfect end to a day.

In the next report in WQXR's Arts File, WNYC's Kerry Nolan talks to Heidi Waleson, opera critic for The Wall Street Journal, about this summer's opera festivals in New York. To view full schedules for each of the festivals Waleson says she'd like to attend, click on the links below.

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Comments [2]

Kenneth Bennett Lane
from Lake Hiawatha, NJ

Thanks to the enterprising SUMMER features, the Caramoor Festival, the Bard Festival, the Glimmerglass Opera and the Lincoln Center Outdoors and the New York Philharmonic and the "Met" Opera performances in all the New York boroughs' parks we have "top fare" classical music. Nonetheless, classical music IN THIS COUNTRY, as Dangerfield might have said, "Doesn't get any respect"!! Classical composers and performers have NEEDED such venues as the band shells at Lincoln Center and Central Park and the Frick Collection concerts, and concerts at Museums: the "Met" Museum's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium and the Morgan Library and Museum's Gilder Lehman Hall, and at Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, NYU's Tisch Building School of the Arts, Mannes School and libraries such as the Main Library at 42nd St and 5th Avenue where classical music IS performed regularly. Of course, Carnegie Hall and Town Hall offer the full spectrum of music. And, the parks in all boroughs, during the summer months, offer an "abbondanza" feast of music of every format. Nonetheless, COMMERCIAL interests have cut classical performers out of high silhouetted events such as parades, sports events, the GRAMMYS, even special holiday events at Christmas, Easter. 4th of July, the Macy's Thaksgiving Parade, etc. Non-classical performers and composers have an exclusive hold on TV and radio and in the record industry. Much of this problem is directly due to the fact that the primary schools don't teach art, music, geography or history. They do not, they say, want to offend anyone. The schools want to be "politically correct"!! Classical music deserves, merits, larger audiences for their ethereal, elegant, majestic, exciting or, simply, transcendental, music that uplifts by its beauty.

I greatly appreciate WQXR's Arts File: Summer Opera in New York. Unfortunately, at 83, not robust to travel and walk, my family has to be with me and your information is still interesting to read. WQXR does broadcast some of those programs during the summer.

You younger listeners of WQXR who are able to attend, I urge you to do so.